[Editorial] The G7 and global health: inaction or incisive leadership?

June 20, 2015

The Lancet 385, 9986 (2015)

Author: The Lancet

“They came, they met, and nothing happened.” So was the conclusion of James Rubin, former US Assistant Secretary of State. A harsh, but many might say fair, statement about the recent G7 meeting held in Germany. A few days before the start of the Summit, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon set the scene for leaders: “When they meet at the Schloss Elmau Summit in Germany on June 7–8, G7 leaders can show they are serious about seizing the moment and protecting people and the planet.” He was right to suggest that as the international community prepares to adopt a new sustainable development agenda in New York in September, together with a new climate treaty in Paris in December, G7 countries have “a special responsibility to lead”.